THE BRANCH OF MODERNISM

Modernism it’s a tendency where symmetric systems and straight lines, are replaced by undulations and organic forms inspired by delicate flowers, animals, and other natural shapes in a process that turns them into objects in a really abstract way. Modern architecture is when these characteristics are applied to buildings.


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This tendency is called and expressed in many different ways al around the word. In Spain for example it’s called “modernism” and Valencia it’s a great city to study when we are talking about modern architecture. For example we have three architects that build modern architecture in Valencia. Francisco Mora Berenguer who build the Casa Gomez II, Vicente Ferrer Pérez that build The Ferrer house and Lucas García Cardona who build the Apartment building 11.
All of these buildings have some characteristics in common and some that makes them unique. The three buildings are built on a corner; this means that all of them have more than one facade, one at each street surrounding them, but at the same time the way these facades are disposed its different in each building.
The Casa Gomez II, was basically lifted on a triangular plant. It has two facades at each side that are exactly like the other. The structure of the first floor consists on columns that allow this level to be open to the public. The body of the building it’s covered and divided by lintels and railings with a lot of ornament. Then comes the perimeter of the dome which separates the body of the building from the end of it, which is the dome.
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The Ferrer house, on the other hand, even though it has also more than one facades, they are built differently. The plant where it was lifted its not a complete triangle, it’s like the tip of it was cut, living some sort of trapezoid form. This means that this new part that appears from the cut turns into the central façade. The two facades of the sides are exactly the same and the one in the front is lightly different. The two facades on the sides end on a curved corner that blends them with the one in the middle by a series of lintels and railings that go from one to another.

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And finally the Apartment building 11, which also have two facades, but the plant of this building it’s actually a square, so the angle between them its 90 degrees. One façade (the one in the front it’s significantly bigger than the other. The first floor it’s made by a series of columns that form arches at the top. This level like on the other two buildings, it’s also open, with exhibition windows. This façade it’s really decorated and the ornaments are very condensate giving it a heavy look.
So these are some characteristics of modern architecture in Valencia, Spain, and as we can see it’s not like this tendency have rules, it’s really free and that’s what makes it interesting.
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